Circular No. 19/2013/TT-BTNMT on technical regulations for groundwater monitoring

CIRCULAR

Technical regulations for groundwater resource monitoring

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Based on the Law on Water Resources No. 17/2012/QH13 dated June 21, 2012;

Pursuant to Decree No. 21/2013/NĐ-CP dated March 4, 2013, promulgated by the Government, stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment;

Based on Decree No. 24/2009/NĐ-CP dated March 5, 2009 of the Government detailing measures to implement the Law on Issuing Legal Normative Documents;

Pursuant to the Government Decree No. 102/2008/NĐ-CP, September 15, 2008, on the collection, management, exploitation, and utilization of data on natural resources and the environment;

Considering the proposal of the Director of the Groundwater Management Department, the Director of the Center for Water Resources Planning and Survey, the Head of the Science and Technology Department, and the Head of the Legal Affairs Department;

The Minister of Natural Resources and Environment promulgates this Circular on technical regulations for groundwater resource monitoring,

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

This Circular stipulates technical regulations for groundwater resource monitoring including: Monitoring regime and factors, monitoring equipment and tools, maintenance and repair of monitoring facilities, calibration, recording, compiling monitoring result tables, data processing, preparing and publishing monitoring results of groundwater resources.

Article 2. Applicability

This Circular applies to organizations and individuals related to groundwater resource monitoring activities.

Article 3. Principles for applying standards and methods

1. The application of standards and methods in groundwater quality monitoring must comply with the monitoring and analysis standards and methods prescribed in Clause 1 and 2, Article 7, Chapter II of this Circular.

2. In cases where the monitoring and analysis standards, regimes, and methods for groundwater quality specified in Chapter II of this Circular are amended, supplemented, or replaced, the new standards and methods shall be applied.

Article 4. Definitions

In this regulation, the following terms are understood as follows:

1. Groundwater monitoring facility is a single structure (drilled well or point) used to monitor groundwater resource factors.

2. Monitoring point includes one or several monitoring facilities.

3. Groundwater monitoring station is a place constructed to manage centralized nearby monitoring facilities. Each station usually has specialized equipment, machinery, and devices; a station house, dedicated land area, facility protection system, safety technical corridor, and other auxiliary structures; and a resident monitoring team to carry out monitoring.

4. Outcrop point is a natural groundwater emergence point.

5. Balance field is an area selected to quantitatively assess groundwater balance factors and the formation of groundwater flow.

Chapter II

TECHNICAL REGULATIONS FOR MONITORING

Article 5. Requirements for monitoring equipment and tools

Monitoring equipment and tools must meet the accuracy requirements set forth in Article 8 of this Circular.

Article 6. Monitoring Factors

1. Drilled well monitoring facility: Water level, temperature, well depth, and water quality.

2. Outcrop point monitoring facility: Flow rate, temperature, and water quality.

3. Balance field monitoring facility: Infiltration volume, rainfall volume, evaporation volume, temperature, humidity, and water quality.

4. Water quality monitoring parameters: Water quality monitoring parameters for groundwater resources are defined in the following types of samples:

a) Comprehensive analysis sample including: Calcium (Ca²⁺), magnesium (Mg²⁺), sodium (Na⁺), potassium (K⁺), total iron, aluminum (Al³⁺), ammonia (NH₄⁺), bicarbonate (HCO₃^-), chloride (Cl^-), sulfate (SO₄^2-), carbonate (CO₃^2-), nitrite (NO₂^-), nitrate (NO₃^-), total hardness, temporary hardness, permanent hardness, pH, free CO₂ , corrosive CO₂ , leaching CO₂ , silica (SiO₂), total mineralization (dried at 105°C), color, odor, taste;

b) Iron sample including: Ferrous iron (Fe²⁺), ferric iron (Fe³⁺);

c) Trace element sample: Depending on the characteristics of each area, select appropriately from the following parameters: Arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), selenium (Se), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), phenol, cyanide (CN^-), manganese (Mn);

d) Organic pollution research sample: Ammonia (NH₄⁺), nitrite (NO₂^-), nitrate (NO₃^-), phosphate (PO₄^3-), COD, Eh (Eh index measured on-site);

đ) On-site analysis indicators: Depending on the characteristics of each region, choose from the following basic parameters: Temperature, pH, Eh, DO, Cl^-, Ec and NH₄⁺.

Article 7. Sampling and Water Analysis

1. Sampling.

a) Underground water sampling shall comply with the national standard TCVN 6663-11:2011;

b) During the pumping and cleaning process, measure pH, Eh, Ec indices until stable values are obtained before sampling;

c) Iron sampling shall be conducted concurrently with comprehensive sampling or in areas with iron levels higher than permitted standards;

d) Quality assurance and quality control work shall be carried out in accordance with the documents and regulations of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

2. Sample preservation and transportation: Samples shall be preserved and stored according to the national standard TCVN 6663-3:2008.

3. On-site analysis: For on-site analysis indicators, samples shall be taken in specialized containers. Calibration of measuring instruments and field recording shall be performed according to the form in Appendix 5.

4. Laboratory analysis.

a) Based on data quality objectives and laboratory conditions, parameter analysis must follow one of the methods specified in Vietnamese standards;

b) When there are no national standards, international standards with equivalent or higher accuracy may be applied;

c) Quality assurance and quality control work in the laboratory shall be carried out in accordance with the documents and regulations of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment regarding guidance on quality assurance and quality control in environmental monitoring.

5. Data processing.

a) Data verification: Comprehensive verification of the rationality of the data; verification is based on sample records (field sampling reports, field sampling logs, sample handover reports, on-site analysis results), laboratory analysis result forms, quality control sample data (blank samples, replicate samples, standard samples);

b) Statistical processing: Depending on the number of samples and the content of the report, statistical processing may use different methods and software but must include descriptive statistics (minimum value, maximum value, average value, number of values exceeding standards).

Article 8. Units of Measurement and Accuracy Requirements

1. Water level, well depth measured in meters; accurate to 1 cm.

2. Temperature measured in °C; accurate to 0.5°C.

3. Water flow rate.

a) Units of measurement:

- Flow rate is measured in l/s or m³/s;³/s;

- Time is measured in seconds.

b) Accuracy:

- For flow rates measured by water level over a weir, accurate to 1 mm;

- For flow rates measured by a volumetric tank, accurate to 0.5 l/s;

- Time accurate to 1 second.

4. Water quality.

a) Ion concentration in comprehensive samples, iron, organic pollution research samples, manganese (Mn) unit of measurement is mg/l; accurate to 1 mg/l;

b) Ion concentration in trace element samples unit of measurement is mg/l; accurate to 0.0001 mg/l.

5. Infiltration volume, rainfall, evaporation volume, measured in mm; accurate to 1 mm.

6. Humidity measured in percent (%); accurate to 1 %.

Article 9. Groundwater Resource Monitoring Schedule

1. Seasonal time.

a) The dry season period is defined as follows:

- Northwest, Northeast, Red River Delta, North Central Coast (two provinces of Thanh Hoa and Nghe An), Central Highlands, and South regions: From November of the previous year to April of the following year;

- North Central Coast (from Ha Tinh to Thua Thien Hue) and South Central regions: From January to August.

b) The rainy season period is defined as follows:

- Northwest, Northeast, Red River Delta, North Central Coast (two provinces of Thanh Hoa and Nghe An), Central Highlands, and South regions: From May to October;

- North Central Coast (from Ha Tinh to Thua Thien Hue) and South Central regions: From September to December.

2. Manual water level and flow rate monitoring schedule.

a) Monitoring facilities not affected by tides:

- Dry season: Measure five times a month on the 6th, 12th, 18th, 24th, and 30th. For February, without the 30th, measure on the 1st of March;

- Rainy season: Measure ten times a month on the 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 18th, 21st, 24th, 27th, and 30th. For hydrological relationship research projects between groundwater and surface water, when a Level 2 or higher alert is issued: Measure once daily.

b) Monitoring facilities affected by tides:

- Measure twelve times a day at hours 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, and 23.

c) Facilities in balance fields:

- Meteorological factors and soil temperature monitoring: Measure three times a day at 7 am, 1 pm, and 7 pm;

- Actual infiltration and evaporation measurement in lysimeters: Measure once daily;

- Water level monitoring at monitoring facilities: Measure once daily.

3. Automatic water level and temperature monitoring schedule.

a) Establish data logging schedule:

- For tide-affected and water extraction monitoring facilities: Log data every hour;

- For non-tide-affected monitoring facilities: Log data every two hours.

b) Data retrieval and transmission schedule:

- Retrieve data twice a month on the first and middle days of the month;

- Transmit data once daily at 2 pm.

c) Automatic monitoring equipment check schedule: Twice a month, alternating with data retrieval periods.

4. Groundwater temperature monitoring schedule.

a) For manual monitoring facilities not affected by tides: Groundwater temperature measurement shall be conducted immediately after water level measurement;

b) For manual monitoring facilities affected by tides: Measure temperature once daily at 1 pm;

c) For manually installed automatic recording equipment: Measure temperature five times a month during tape changes and equipment maintenance checks.

5. Groundwater quality monitoring schedule.

a) Laboratory or on-site analysis: At least twice a year;

b) Automatic monitoring schedule:

- Establish data logging schedule twice a month;

- Retrieve data once a month;

- Monitoring check schedule: Twice a year, except in emergencies.

6. Well depth measurement: Once every quarter.

7. Adjusting the monitoring schedule.

a) Monitoring units shall not arbitrarily adjust the monitoring schedule;

Article 10. Monitoring Inspection

1. The head of the monitoring station or an equivalent position shall inspect the work of the station at least once every month.

2. The management unit of the monitoring area: Inspect the work of the monitoring network at least once every three months.

3. For the technical management unit of the monitoring network: Inspect the work of the monitoring units of the networks at least once every year.

4. Report the inspection results according to the form set out in Appendix No. 7 issued together with this Circular.

Article 11. Monitoring Data and Aggregation of Monitoring Results

1. Monitoring data must be calculated and recorded in accordance with the forms set out in Appendices No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4, and No. 5 issued together with this Circular.

2. Data must be processed to ensure rationality and accuracy as required for use.

3. The aggregation of monitoring results shall be established according to the form set out in Appendix No. 6 issued together with this Circular.

Article 12. Reporting and Announcing Monitoring Results

1. Reporting on Monitoring Results.

a) For the management unit of the monitoring area:

- Develop a periodic regional monitoring plan once a year. The regional monitoring plan shall be sent to the technical management unit of the monitoring network before December 15 of the previous year;

- Check the data, revise and update the database, and send the monitoring data to the technical management unit of the monitoring network monthly, with the data from the previous month being sent before the 22nd day of the following month;

- Report on the operation of the monitoring network. The regional report shall be sent to the technical management unit of the monitoring network before December 15 each year.

b) For the technical management unit of the monitoring network:

- Aggregate the national monitoring plans periodically once a year, submit them by the end of January;

- Evaluate the quality of monitoring materials from the regions, aggregate the national monitoring data;

- Compile bulletins for notification and warning forecasts of underground water resources, send them to relevant water resource management agencies, regional monitoring management units; publish on the website, quarterly. Notification time is 45 days after receiving data and notifications from regional monitoring management units;

- Compile annual reports on underground water resources and send them to relevant water resource management agencies annually in August;

- Aggregate reports on the operation of the monitoring network and assess changes in quantity and quality of water.

2. Announcing Monitoring Results.

Underground water resource monitoring materials must be evaluated by authorized agencies before being published for exploitation and use.

Article 13. Maintenance Work of Monitoring Facilities

1. Monitoring facilities must be regularly maintained and serviced.

2. Monitoring units are responsible for developing maintenance plans and submitting them for approval by competent authorities.

Article 14. Completion of the Network

1. The monitoring network must be continuously improved (terminated or supplemented with monitoring points).

2. Monitoring units are responsible for developing network completion plans and submitting them for approval by competent authorities.

Article 15. Technical Documentation of Monitoring Facilities

Monitoring facilities must have technical documentation for management, including the contents specified in Appendix No. 8.

Chapter III

IMPLEMENTATION

Article 16. Monitoring funds

1. Groundwater resource monitoring shall be carried out using state budget funds, approved by the competent authority.

2. The monitoring period, monitoring methods, and annual monitoring costs shall be approved by the organizations or individuals directly managing the monitoring activities.

Article 17. Implementation Organization

1. The Minister, Heads of Ministries equivalent to Ministries, Heads of Government Agencies, Chairpersons of People's Committees at all levels, and related organizations and individuals are responsible for implementing this Circular.

2. The National Water Resources Management Agency is responsible for guiding and supervising the implementation of this Circular.

Article 18. Effective Date

1. This Circular takes effect from September 3, 2013.

2. In case of any difficulties during implementation, the relevant agencies, organizations, and individuals are requested to promptly report to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for study and amendment./.